One of the quintessential teenage movies from the early 2000s is Mean Girls, premiering in 2004 and still gracing our television screens. The film stars Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron, a 16-year-old homeschooled girl who is now attending public school. Not only does she make the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels (the ex of Regina George), but also unintentionally joins The Plastics, led by Regina herself. Cady must learn how to navigate the tough terrain of high school, all while trying to find herself.
If you love high school drama, young love troubles, or the rebellious side of your teenage years, make sure to watch these six best movies like Mean Girls the next time you stream the 2004 film.
6. High School Musical (2006)
Our sixth selection for movies like Mean Girls is the classic High School Musical. Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez operate in two separate social groups, but end up meeting on New Year’s Eve while singing karaoke. When Troy returns to his high school in New Mexico, he realizes Gabriella is a new student there, and the two quickly become close friends.
When the pair accidentally audition for the school musical and get callbacks, they not only infuriate queen bee Sharpay and her brother Ryan but Troy’s buddy Chad and Gabriella’s new friend Taylor too. Will they be able to overcome the obstacles and be the stars of the school play?
While the drama is not directly about a boy, there is lots of drama to unpack in High School Musical from the school play to sports to Troy and Gabriella’s relationship.
–IMDb score: 5.6
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5. Mean Girls (2024)
Need an updated version of the 2004 classic? Paramount Pictures answered our secret thoughts by putting out another version of Mean Girls, this one taking on 2024 high school standards and being a musical at the same time. Cady Heron is accepted into the world of The Plastics led by queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp), but accidentally falls for her ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels. As Cady tries to take down the queen with her outcast friends, she must also learn how to navigate the rocky road of high school.
If you loved the 2004 film, you’ll certainly want to watch a new and hilariously updated version of Mean Girls.
–IMDb score: 5.6
4. Wild Child (2008)
Looking for a main character with a rebellious streak? Our fourth selection for movies like Mean Girls is sure to entertain. Enter Poppy Moore, a Malibu brat who pushes her dad to the limit after her mother’s passing, getting sent to a strict English boarding school called Abbey Mount. On the first day, Poppy manages to make several enemies, including lacrosse captain Harriet and principal Mrs. Kingsley. In a last-ditch effort, Poppy decides to rebel and take the blame for everyone until she’s dismissed, but when Kingsley’s dashing son Freddie takes his attention off of Harriet and places it on Poppy, it changes everything.
Wild Child may be in an English boarding school, but it holds a lot of similar elements to Mean Girls, including a queen bee, an outcast newbie, and a dream boy both girls want.
–IMDb score: 6.1
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3. Do Revenge (2022)
Our third selection is Do Revenge for movies like Mean Girls where two students form an unlikely secret friendship to get revenge on each other’s bullies. Drea is at the peak of her high school career, that is until her entire life goes up in flames when an explicit tape is leaked to the whole school by her boyfriend Max. Eleanor is an awkward new transplant into the school, angered because her childhood bully Carissa goes to the same school. When both girls run into each other at tennis camp, Drea and Eleanor create a plan to get back their lives, and get revenge on those who ruined it.
If you want lots and lots of drama around every corner like Mean Girls, then Do Revenge is the perfect movie to watch next.
–IMDb score: 6.3
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2. Legally Blonde (2001)
Taking the second spot is Legally Blonde for our movies like Mean Girls list. Elle Woods is fashion-savvy and the sorority queen of her college, having the perfect trifecta of a handsome boyfriend, wealth, and status. But when Warner dumps her and starts dating law student Vivian, Elle decides to win back her boyfriend by applying to Harvard Law School. Proving her ex-boyfriend wrong quickly turns into a joy for Elle as she dives deeper into the world of law, later taking on a court case of her role model Brooke Windham when she is accused of murder.
While this is not centered in high school, it does reflect the idea of womanhood and finding your identity. Elle may have wanted to be popular and have a boyfriend, but she also learned how to embrace her brain along the way.
–IMDb score: 6.5
1. Clueless (1995)
Our number one selection is Clueless for movies like Mean Girls. The Regina George in this film is Cher, a shallow, rich, and socially successful student at Beverly Hills High School. Seeing herself as a matchmaker Cher coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Confidence soaring from her success, she gives klutzy new student Tai a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than Cher, she realizes her disapproving ex-stepbrother was right about how misguided she was, and must try to navigate this new high school world.
In Clueless, we take a step into the queen bee’s perspective and watch how her efforts create an unexpected result. It’s a great way to show that queen bees have feelings too, and often struggle through high school just like any other kid.
–IMDb score: 6.9
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